Sales of a particular product or service may be based upon how well that product or service is marketed to a consumer. One form of marketing is a coupon, typically in paper form, for a discount toward the product or service. Some coupons may be retailer specific, for example, only redeemable for the discount at a particular retailer, while other coupons may be product specific from a manufacturer and redeemable at any retailer.
A coupon, while typically in paper form, may be in digital form and may be referred to as a digital promotion. A digital promotion may be selected or “clipped” via a mobile phone and saved to a digital wallet for redemption at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, for example. A typical coupon is applicable to a given product and has a redeemable value that may vary based upon the quantity of a given item, for example, brand of item, size of the product in terms of packaging, and/or the price point of the given item. A typical coupon may also be redeemable only at a given retailer and/or within a threshold time period.
One type of coupon is an instant redeemable coupon (IRC). An IRC is a physical coupon that is typically attached to a product or near the product at a retail location for the purchaser to use immediately or save for future use. An IRC may be, for example, in the form of a relatively small coupon affixed to the product with an adhesive.
Another type of coupon is a short message service (SMS) digital coupon. A purchaser may opt-in to receive an SMS digital coupon, for example, by sending an opt-in message to a short code. A short code is a shortened telephone number used primarily for mobile marketing. After opting-in, the purchaser may receive a reply SMS message with a digital coupon or coupon code applicable, for example, at a given retailer.